Haunted: Perron Manor: 1

Product Information

These are all really good signs and why I'm happy to recommend this book to other readers, however I haven't given the book 5 stars, instead I have given it a worthy 4 stars. I listened to the audio book version of this prequel. Narrated by Hannibal Hills, the audio is about 3.5 hours long. Hills has a pleasant voice, reads at a nice pace and does an excellent job of voice acting! I enjoyed his performance from beginning to end.

Chloe, was an interesting character and while I felt sad that she had to experience all the spookiness, it was interesting to see how that affected her. How it was first fear and disbelief, into fear and NOPE, trying to run away. I would have liked to see her remember things from the past though, even little glimpses would have been fine. Little do they know that the manor is known to be haunted as none of them believe in such things as ghosts and hauntings. Paranormal investigator, David Ritter shows up on their doorstep letting them know the manor is haunted and that he would like to know if they would let him do an investigation. They do not let him in the manor and they tell him to leave as they do not believe in those kind of things. This is the first book I have read by Lee Mountford, and I will definitely be reading the rest of his writing! I enjoyed this prequel and Haunted: Perron Manor. Great spooky tale about a evil house! In many ways this is an excellent book. The characters of Chloe & Sarah, and the house itself are developed well over the course of the story, and for the majority of the story, the pacing is exactly on point for this story's subject matter.I found it interesting that only Chloe truly saw the horrors of the house (oh and Oliver, RIP that dude (he didn’t die, but dang, that was scary)). Sarah had some things happening to her (including naked sleepwalking to that one room..) and she did get some glimpses, but nothing the sort that Chloe experienced. I mean, it is normally already tough for the one who sees, but generally they only have to deal with just one person close to them not believing…not two. This prequel delves into the history of the fictional Perron Manor, the horrific occurrences at the house on Halloween 1982 and describes a 2014 weekend investigation of the home by a team of paranormal researchers. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and this story had the tone of a paranormal podcast with the added horror aspects that fiction can add. Loved it!

This book is a prelude to a book series that the author has coming out soon as this book sets up the rest of the series. I will be looking forward to reading the other books in this series to continue on with the hauntings of Perron Manor and what is in store for its next victims. Giving this book five Reading the story from the paranormal investigator's view reminds me of those true haunting books and as I became engrossed in the story I would sometimes forget that this was a work of fiction as that is how close to the real thing it almost seems.

Customer reviews

By the end of the novel, the characters were starting to grow on me, and some scenes with them were more "believable" than they were in the first three-quarters or so. Why you should buy this: I enjoyed this read. I’d peg it at a middle of the road haunted house story for me. I wanted to know what was happening, but it took a bit to get the ball rolling and ultimately, the pay off at the end works but was more of a set up for the next release. Mountford does deliver some really eerie scenes, so rest assured you’ll be creeped out, but for me personally, I wanted more finality of certain things and a less open ending.

However, while I had a difficult time with these characters and their motivations, the atmosphere and history of the Manor captured my undivided attention. The scenes that dealt with the house itself and its sordid history were mesmerizing, to say the least, and some of the minor characters brought more interest and mystery to it. We learn that Sarah has been in the army and has quit following the gruesome death of her friend. As the story continues we learn more about the incident and also how Sarah is doing at the moment (not so good given her dreams are full with red mist and body parts). I will admit, I felt the "connection" between the characters was forced somehow, and many of their conversations/actions just didn't feel . . . authentic. . . to me. I am looking forward to rereading the rest of the series once again so that I can surround myself in the haunted realm! Giving this one five "Scary Boo Demon" stars!

I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Hannibal Hills, the audio is just over 8 hours long. Hills does a great job of voice acting. I enjoyed his reading of the prequel, Inside: Perron Manor, and his performance was just as scary this time! As for the story, I enjoyed it from start to finish. The characters were a bit annoying at times and their decisions were total crap....but I don't think I would make great choices in a similar situation either! I’ve read a lot of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror in my time. I’m certainly not against the spilling of guts. But I admire an author who can turn the camera away and give me a different kind of fear even more than one who can twist my insides in disgust. Lee Mountford has taken to heart the age-old lesson that what you don’t see is far scarier than what you do. He never oversteps the mark, which many horror authors do, where the plot then descends into parody, and even at the tense conclusion of the novella what is waiting for Ritter never quite steps into the light… Coupled with this intuitive sense of when not to show us something, or when to let the silence speak, is a concise descriptive power. Many of the “scares” in this book are classic horror fare: faces in windows, shadows at the end of the bed, and yet Mountford will often offer up just one subtle little detail that sets his image apart from the generic. For example, Having no recollection of anything during that time, Chloe doesn't hesitate to urge her husband to move there, along with their young child, and co-heir sister. One of the most common plot points or tropes for haunted house stories, especially those involving sprawling mansions, is the one where a family inherits it from a relative who has passed away. Typically the relative is one who has been a recluse or distanced themselves from the rest of the family over the years, so that not much, if anything, is known about them. Perron Manor located in Northern England has been around for centuries and ever since it has been built the manor has taken the lives of people that have lived in it. The manor has been other things besides just "a manor" but that doesn't make it all that less scary as when people move in or even stay the night, things happen that will make the people either run screaming into the night or they might just disappear altogether and may never be heard from again.